


The One Thing I Can Control

by flibbertygigget



Series: The Other 51 [13]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Duelling, Fate, Gen, Mad Scientist Thomas Jefferson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6532984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flibbertygigget/pseuds/flibbertygigget
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aaron Burr agreed to be a guinea pig for Thomas Jefferson, he had no idea what he'd find in his own mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Thing I Can Control

Aaron Burr shifted nervously as the helmet was lowered onto his head. He had no idea what would happen, what he would feel, but he needed the money. There were worst things that he would do than be a test subject for a mad scientist.

Monticello Research Institute was famous not only for its groundbreaking medical technology, but also for the rule-bending ways of its founder and head scientist Dr. Thomas Jefferson. At least one person had been rendered brain dead by this particular device, but that had been a year ago. Hopefully Aaron's test wouldn't go the same way.

"As you probably know," Dr. Jefferson said, spinning in his swivel chair, "this is an unprecedented piece of technology. Using this, we can look into a person's mind and assess the likelihood of them becoming a criminal, to the point where we can ever pinpoint their likely murder victims. When the Monticello Crimecast becomes the standard, the police will be able to stop crimes even before they happen."

Aaron didn't like the idea of the Crimecast. It sounded too much like guilty until proven innocent, too much like convicting people with pseudoscience. But he needed the money, and he was willing to overlook the dubious morality and the way that the wires that the doctor's assistant, James Madison, stuck to his head hummed with an ominous energy.

"Nighty-night," Jefferson said, and then he pulled the switch. Aaron's head exploded with pain, and he was gone.

He was standing ten paces from his friend Alexander, a freezing wind blowing off the Hudson River. Slowly his arm raised, and Alexander's raised with it, past it, until he aimed at the sky. Aaron looked down. He was holding a gun. His finger squeezed the trigger, and Alexander fell backwards, crimson blooming between his ribs. 

Aaron woke with a start. Dr. Jefferson and Madison were staring at the paper that the contraption spit out, horror and wonder on their faces.

"My God," Dr. Jefferson said. Aaron felt sick.

"Thomas, you've done it again," said Madison. "What should we do with this?"

"What's on there?" Aaron said, straining to see. Dr. Jefferson considered him for a moment, and then he carefully folded the papers.

"We'll give these to the police," he said to Madison. "If everything happens as it says, we're going to be rich. The Crimecast will be considered an essential element of any police station. Hundreds of crimes will be predicted and the criminals locked up before they even happen."

"What does it say?" Dr. Jefferson chuckled.

"Oh, I don't think I should tell you. We can't mess up the results, after all."

As he left the office, check in hand, Aaron only knew one thing for certain. He couldn't let the Crimecast be right. He was the one thing in life he could control, and he would not kill Alexander Hamilton, not of his own free will.

* * *

The next time that Alexander texted him, asking if they were still on for lunch, Aaron ignored him. He ate lunch that day at his desk, glad that their building required an ID to get in.

It hurt to push Alexander away. Every so often, Aaron would be halfway through composing a text before he realized that no, he couldn't. He couldn't be selfish and risk Alexander's life like that. He would never risk a friend's life over something so stupid as missing them, as feeling lonely. Over time, it became easier. Aaron moved on.

He went into politics, climbing the ladder in an average sort of way. He hit every point in his plan exactly, until he didn't even realize until it was too late that he had replaced Alexander's father-in-law as New York's senator.

"Burr, since when are you in politics?" Aaron sighed as Alexander ambushed him. He had never seen Alexander so angry, so completely out of control, not even when facing down a biased judge or prejudiced jury.

"Alexander..."

"Don't 'Alexander' me! You ran against my father-in-law!"

"Alexander, Philip Schulyer is out of touch and you know it. The seat was up for grabs, so I took it. It's nothing personal." Alexander poked his chest.

"You were the one who made it personal," he said.

"We fell out of touch years ago-"

"You stopped responding to my texts!" Ah, so that was why Alexander was taking this so personally. Aaron... really couldn't blame him. Still, it wasn't as though Aaron had had a choice, not that he could explain that to Alexander.

"God, Alexander, not everything's about you. I swear your pride will by the death of us all!" Aaron stormed away. He was done looking at Alexander's accusing face, hearing the words he spat like acid. He wouldn't stop his career in its tracks just to protect the feelings of a former friend.

After all, what was the worst that could happen? He was in control.

* * *

In the end, it wasn't one insult or humiliation that pushed Aaron over the edge. It was the culmination of years of slights, of hurts, of Alexander calling him "dangerous" and "deranged" and "the most immoral man in America." And Aaron, Aaron had done nothing, not until Alexander had destroyed his career without a hint of regret in the election for Governor of New York.

Aaron finally texted him, opening the long string of messages that Alexander had tried to reach him with, demanding a retraction. Alexander responded by declaring war, and Aaron- Aaron named the time and place.

The situation was too familiar, but it didn't hold the same sickening horror it once had. No, it was almost welcome, the logical conclusion of a lifetime of this futile drama. That more than anything made Aaron hate it. What right did Alexander have to take his free will away from him? He had tried and tried to push Alexander away, to prevent this, but it had been for nothing. The bullet would strike Alexander's chest, and Aaron had no control over it.

The count reached one, and Aaron raised his gun. He saw it, he saw Alexander aiming at the sky, he heard the echoing bang. That one, immeasurable moment was when Aaron decided, no, even after all the insults, all the times that Alexander had gone too far, he wouldn't kill him. He wanted this, one last assurance of his autonomy, his free will. He would be the one thing in life he could control, even though life seemed intent on making him murder his best friend.

Aaron lowered his gun, pointing it loosely at the ground. Alexander stared at him dumbly, unable to understand what was going on. Aaron stared back, triumph curling in his chest.

The Crimecast was wrong. He was the one in control of his own destiny. 

 

 


End file.
